Perfectionist, ironically, means something different for everyone. I cannot claim to be one in my own understanding of the word, otherwise I would never be able to finish a project. For many, I would assume there is a special place in our own minds that exists between what we fear our project will look like and what we hope our project will look like.

When I first started, I had to come to a place, mentally, where I could accept the creation I made and its many flaws. I would have to find something I liked about it, something I could improve on, and embrace some of the imperfections rather than be repelled by them. Over time, that distance between fear and hope gets a little less and less.

What personal philosophies have you adopted that help you deal with this insecurity in abilities that help you grow into the craft rather than leave yourself in an uncomfortable place of self doubt?

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.

25 replies so far

I am often crushed between how my projects turn out in my head and on paper, and how the turn out in wood. I keep plugging away though. As long as the next one (there is always a next one) is better than the previous I am happy. Honestly if I ever achieve consistent perfection I would stop woodworking. I don’t get paid to do it, I enjoy the challenge and the journey. If perfection becomes mundane, I will be bored.

I guess what I am trying to say is the enjoyment in woodworking for me is not the destination, but the journey. I am not kidding myself, I do not posses the natural talent or natural ability for woodworking and I will never be a master craftsman, but if I can be a competent craftsman, that will make me happy.

I tend to hold on to the flaws, at least those I’m smart enough to know about. In the end though the project is done and it’s time to move on. If you can’t admit to your mistakes and try to at least not make the same ones too many more times you will not really improve. That is why I sort of make a conscious effort to see my own mistakes as I pass my projects, so as to remember and learn. However, I do take great pride in the fact that they are my work, flaws, mistakes and all.

Reminds me of what an old cousin once told me about some molding I was doing years ago at the country cabin. I was sort of dwelling on my inability to get the quality I wanted. He told me that it looked pretty good and that I was the only one who would really see the joint issues. He then said that if I had friends over that they would never notice. He then went on to say that if they did notice that they would be too polite to mention it. But the qualifier was that if they did notice, and if they did say something, then I should just tell them to get out because they are not my friends. We had a good laugh over that and a beer.

We look at our own work harder than the casual observer ever will. With the hours we spend getting rather intimate with a project it is a sure bet that no matter how good we do, it could always have come off better. At least that is true for me. Perhaps one day the final project will actually reflect the concept, plan and drawing, but I doubt that. The more I learn about woodworking the more I find out how much I do not know.

The answer to that question, Don, is about one’s state of mind. When we are insecure, we see perfection everywhere else but in ourselves. To see our own work or the work of others as flawless, I believe, is a mistake. I believe we all have to find a spot in ourselves to accept these imperfections in our work, as well as others.

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.

my problem is not accepting imperfections from a point that i see my work as flawless (not just woodwork), but being able to accept the imperfections and actually complete a project and not scrap the whole thing. I hate knowing there is a flaw in something i did and wondering every time someone says it looks good if they’re saying in the back of their mind “look at the screw ups in this thing”.

If we saw perfection in what we did, we would never drive to do better. Its your ability to understand your weaknesses that allows you to excel. You should away strive to improve your weakest capabilities.

Every woodworker or crafts person I have ever met would immediately show me every single perceived imperfection in a project right at the start. I think it is a little self defensive mechanism that is immediately triggered as if to say “I know it isn’t perfect, lets get that out of the way right now…”

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.

My philosophy is, don’t pretend to be a fine woodworker and nobody will expect fine work from you! (And by “you” I mean ME) What I mean is, understand your skills and be honest about them. Mistakes are hardly noticed when they are expected. But if you claim to be a true artist, expect every flaw to be pointed out by snooty critics as they sip wine at the gallery.

As for what mistakes are acceptable to you… well that depends. If it can be seen without bending over and looking closely, it’s got to be fixed. If it can be hidden so that nobody will ever notice, I’m ok with it. If it can be written off as “character”, that’s ok too. But i find the best way to deal with a piece that has a big flaw on it, is to beat it up some more and call it “rustic”. People love that stuff.

Yes, it is rude to destroy someone else’s work. In the case I laid out though, they weren’t picking mine apart but their own. Which is kind of sad sometimes because you really want that person to know that the piece they created is really quite good.

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.